In today’s edition of The Straits Times, there was an article contribution by Dr Kelvin Seah Kah Cheng from the Department of Economics at the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, in which he discussed the prevalence of tuition in Singapore, and the reasons behind the rise. Dr Seah also analysed the data from the 2012 Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa), a large-scale international survey involving 15-year-old students, and examined the relationship between tuition and performance of students.

This was an article contribution by Associate Professor Maznah Mohamad and Dr Suriana Suratnam from the Department of Malay Studies at the NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, in which they discussed the social and religious aspects of Malay marriages. The authors noted that for the Malay community, marriage to a large extent is a social contract as well as an obligation and duty to be fulfilled by the couple to their children and close relatives.

The Wan Boo Sow Research Centre for Chinese Culture was officially opened at NUS on 2 December 2016 by Mr Sam Tan, Minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office and Ministry of Manpower. Set up with a gift from the family of the late pharmacist Mr Wan Boo Sow, the Centre under the Department of Chinese Studies at NUS Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences aims to establish itself as a leading institution in research for Chinese culture in Asia and beyond. The Centre led by its Director, Associate Professor Lee Cheuk Yin, will strengthen the Department’s six research groups on Chinese Linguistics and Translation, Ming-Qing Studies, Print and Popular Culture, Southeast Asian Chinese and Modern China, Chinese Religions, and Classical Literature and Thought. It will also collaborate with universities in organising and promoting Chinese cultural events, as well as establish visiting fellowships to attract renowned scholars to Singapore to conduct interdisciplinary research.

On 2 December 2016, the Department of Chinese Studies, FASS, NUS, celebrated the opening of the Wan Boo Sow Centre for Chinese Culture. The Centre was set up to actively promote in-depth cultural research by both local and overseas scholars, and to raise research efforts and output in Chinese culture to a higher level in order for NUS to establish itself as a leading institution in the field in Asia and beyond. Through visiting fellowships, it seeks to attract renowned scholars to Singapore to conduct interdisciplinary research with academics both in and outside the Department of Chinese Studies.

GOH, Mr Sam Tan, Minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office & Ministry of Manpower, is an alum of the Department of Chinese Studies

In his speech during the opening ceremony, Guest-of-Honour, Mr Sam Tan, Minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office & Ministry of Manpower, said he hopes that the setting up of this new research centre for Chinese culture will strengthen the bilateral cooperation between Singapore and other countries, in addition to encouraging exchanges between academics and non-academics. He added that NUS’ facilities, and bilingual and bicultural advantage will enable it to become an international centre for Chinese cultural studies.

The Centre is named in honour of the late Mr Wan Boo Sow (1918-1992), a pharmacist in the 20th century. Born and bred in Singapore, Mr Wan obtained a Diploma in Pharmacy from the then-King Edward VII College of Medicine, before starting his own pharmacy along High Street. Mr Wan recognised the importance of education and his children—upholding their late father’s view—contributed generously to the set-up of this Centre.

To mark its official opening, the Centre organised an inaugural conference on the 2 and 3 December 2016. The conference had six panels reflecting the current research focus of the six research clusters in the Department of Chinese Studies. Professor Benjamin Elman of Princeton University and Professor Ge Zhaoguang of Fudan University were the keynote speakers for the conference. More than 20 preeminent scholars from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Peking University, Xiamen University, University of London, University of Manitoba etc., presented their research outcomes in the field of Chinese history, literature, culture and linguistics.

On 5 November 2016, the Department of Japanese Studies and the Japanese Studies Alumni Group organised a dinner party at the NUSS Suntec City Guild House to celebrate the Department’s 35th anniversary. More than 60 former and present staff, alumni members and guests attended the special event. Participants were treated to an awesome night of good food, exciting games, and attractive prizes.